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DJI recently released the Spark, the newest member to their UAV / Drone Family. It’s small, compact, lightweight and easy to fly. It looked like a piece of photography gear that had lots of potential to me in my work as a travel photographer. I’ve had photo drones before. But they were too large for easy travel. The Spark however, looked like a great drone for travel. I ordered my DJI Spark Travel Drone before it was even available to the public. Then I sat back and waited for it to arrive. For more details about the Spark read my previous article, “DJI Spark – My New Travel Buddy”.

WW I Flying Ace – Snoopy / internet image

I named my DJI Spark “Snoopy” – I’m a long time Snoopy fan. I especially enjoyed his exploits as the World War I Flying Ace when he engaged in air combat with The Red Baron. Flying high, flying low, Snoopy zipped through the air, his flight goggles and cap in place, his flying scarf streaming behind, flapping in the wind. When I received my DJI Spark – I ordered the red one of course in honor of Snoopy and The Baron – I popped an image of Snoopy from his flying days on the fuselage and christened it “Snoopy”. It seemed appropriate.

After spending some time getting acquainted with Snoopy, his flight characteristics and various features, I thought it was time to do something more productive. Fortunately an opportunity arose when, as part of my “Giving Back” program with BWB-Images,I was asked to provide photography coverage of a summer camp program for inner city youth. It’s located in the Missouri Ozarks and is sponsored by Kansas City’s City Union Mission. Snoopy was going to camp! How great is that?

The DJI Spark proved to be a good traveler on my journey from Kansas City to the Missouri Ozarks. It’s small size allowed me to pack it up in a very small bag along with all other required equipment including the controller, extra batteries, battery charger, cables and prop guards. The small compact size is one of the great advantages of the Spark for travel photography. Using the Spark for the camp shoot was also easy and enjoyable. Flight controls were stable and responsive, allowing great aerial views of outside as well as inside activities. And being small, this drone is not as intimidating for bystanders as other larger drones. Indeed, campers were excited and responsive to having Snoopy fly nearby and shoot videos of their activities.

During the camp photo shoot I had a chance to get great aerial views, both video and stills, of the camp, the campers and the activities. Here are a few samples.

Snoopy Goes To Camp Images

Several of the camp buildings in the Ozarks

Campers Enjoying The Water Trampoline In The Lake

Younger Campers with Staff on Playground Equipment

Lunchtime For Campers & Staff – Taco Salad – YUM!

Swimming Pool Time

Campers Hit The Diving Board

Campers Challenged By The Climbing Wall

Campers Meeting a “Real Horse”

It’s a great camp and a wonderful opportunity for kids from the city to get out of town and experience new types of activities and adventures. I enjoyed the opportunity to provide photography services and it was also a great opportunity to take Snoopy to Camp and see how he would perform. He seemed to like it. And the campers were excited to see him and appeared to enjoy having him visit. I’m still relatively new to aerial / drone photography and have lots to learn. But it was fun. All camp images shown above were taken with Snoopy, my DJI Travel Drone, during his various flights at camp.

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